What's the best way to buy return tickets from South Africa to UK?

FutileBreadMachine

FutileBreadMachine

FutileBreadMachine

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I want to buy my mum and step-dad plane tickets to here from South Africa, but I am wondering what the best way to do this is.

  1. Buy the tickets here in Pounds.
  2. Send them the money to buy the tickets in Rands.
  3. Somehow buy the tickets from there myself on some South African website (is this possible?).

I believe I will be charged for sending money to them via some international transfer method, so don't know what the best way is, so maybe you guys have done something like this?
 
Go to Skyscanner/BA/SAA and set the location to UK. Find price for dates interested (in £). Change country/location to SA and £ to rands and check prices for dates interested. You'll see if there is any benefit in paying by whichever currency.

Odds on there won't, and any difference will be due to currency fluctuation and just a few quid out either way.

If you want to transfer money to them then you will be paying one way or the other. Best option is to use a dedicated forex company (such as UKforex or Travelex) rather than your bank as the fees will be significant lower and the exchange rate better. You agree with the forex company te amount you want and at what exchange rate, transfer money from your bank account into their UK account, then they transfer the arranged amount from their SA account into your parents bank account.
 
Last edited:
Amp34 said:
Go to Skyscanner/BA/SAA and set the location to UK. Find price for dates interested (in £). Change country/location to SA and £ to rands and check prices for dates interested. You'll see if there is any benefit in paying by whichever currency.

Odds on there won't, and any difference will be due to currency fluctuation and just a few quid out either way.
Click to expand...

This is the way to do it.

Although from my experience I've made significant savings this way. Saved about £100 buying return tickets to Romania with BA on their Romanian site instead of the UK one.

Also worked very well for booking domestic flights within Turkey. Pegasus airlines Turkish site is regularly cheaper than the UK one.
 
Amp34 said:
Go to Skyscanner/BA/SAA and set the location to UK. Find price for dates interested (in £). Change country/location to SA and £ to rands and check prices for dates interested. You'll see if there is any benefit in paying by whichever currency.

Odds on there won't, and any difference will be due to currency fluctuation and just a few quid out either way.
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, I will give that a go!
 
OK I just did the Skyscanner thing and if I select the location as SA and currency Rands, it only works out £12 cheaper, so it's not really worth it in this case. Useful site anyway, I was using Kayak previously.
 
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